And they followed what the shaitans chanted of sorcery in the reign of Sulaiman, and Suleiman was not an unbeliever

After the demise of H.Suleiman (A.S.) many people started claiming that he used to indulge in magic to achieve such a huge kingdom. Hence, the Jews in particular claimed that magic is a good action and is not prohibited. The basic motive was to cleanse their own hands and to make their own magic business successful. The following verse of the Holy Quran vouches for this fact and furthermore informs us about some aspects of magic:

“And they followed what the shaitans chanted of sorcery in the reign of Sulaiman, and Suleiman was not an unbeliever, but the shaitans disbelieved, they taught men sorcery and that was sent down to the two angels at Babel, Harut and Marut, yet these two taught no man until they had said, “surely we are only a trial, therefore do not be a disbeliever.” Even then men learned from these two, magic by which they might cause a separation between a man and his wife; and they cannot hurt with it any one except with Allah’s permission, and they learned what harmed them and did not profit them, and certainly they know that he who bought it should have no share of good in the hereafter and evil was the price for which they sold their souls; had they but known this.” Al-Baqarah 2: 102

The Jews were adamant in propagating the thought that H.Suleiman (A.S.) indulged in magic. Hence, the Holy Quran had to clarify distinctly that H.Suleiman (A.S.) was a Prophet of Allah (S.W.T.) he did not commit magic. Here the verse uses the words ‘Unbeliever’ and ‘disbelieved’ for magic! This verily denotes the intensity of this crime. 

A person becomes a disbeliever in the realm of action once he indulges in magic!

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